Filzteich, Mining water reservoir in Schneeberg, Germany

Filzteich is a mining reservoir straddling the border between Schneeberg and Hartmannsdorf bei Kirchberg with a large surface area and multiple access points from both sides. Today the water body offers a beach with sunbathing areas, a water slide tower, and pedal boat rentals for various visitor groups.

Heinrich von Starschedel, captain of Schneeberg, had the reservoir built between 1483 and 1485 on old tin-placer ground to store water for the mines. On 4 February 1783 rain and rapid snowmelt tore the dam open over 22.5 m wide; 18 people drowned in Zschorlau. The wooden drain had rotted, so a granite one was built and the dam restored by 1786 at over 17,000 talers.

The reservoir has been central to the mining culture of the region for centuries and still shows traces of this heritage today. Visitors can discover walking paths around it that lead through the hilly landscape of the Ore Mountains and make the close connection between water and mining tangible.

Access to the reservoir is straightforward from both adjacent towns, with ample parking and paths around the water. It is best to visit during warmer months when all facilities such as the slide and pedal boats are operational.

After the 1783 dam breach, the wooden drain was replaced by a granite one, finished in 1786 at a cost of over 17,000 thalers. A stone with an inscription near the channel still marks the disaster, in which 18 people drowned in Zschorlau. The flood pushed the water house door shut, so the 40 miners underground survived.